That hovering blue bubble, or the voice that streams out of your vehicle’s guidance system, will become much more accurate once GPS III hits the commercial market from space. The system is being designed, developed and produced in our own backyard at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Jefferson County.

On Monday, the development team received the first spacecraft’s propulsion core module to the company’s GPS Processing Facility (GPF) just outside of Denver. This module serves as the satellite’s backbone, which will remain an integral component throughout the its life span.

While it is a Department of Defense project contracted for the U.S. Air Force, it is an example of technology that trickles down into civilian life.

Michael Friedman, spokesman for Lockheed Martin, explained it in true Coloradan language. When you are off camping in some remote location, those pesky mountains that you enjoy so much won’t interfere with signals from space. The third generation will improve the accuracy of your location in both urban and rural environments.

David joined The Denver Post in 1999, his second go-round in the Mile High City. Since then he’s covered a variety of topics – from human services to consumer affairs – most always with an investigative bent. Currently he does investigations and banking.